First Contact
Wednesday, May 4 2005
The investigation started with my web sites. By analysis of the web logs I have been able to piece together part of the investigation path.
Contrary to what they told me in the first meeting it was my blog that they first starting looking at rather than Boomershoot.org. A computer named WD31448 appears to be one of two computers used in the investigation. They arrived at 16:44:21 GMT (9:44:21 PDT). The first few posts visible would have been these on that day:
Boomershoot blog reports II
High Drag Low Speed Operator
Random Nuclear Strikes (and here)
Fun Turns to Tragedy
Kim du Toit
I slept 11 hours last night. I still haven't looked at my pictures from the event. Maybe I'll be up to doing something other than sleeping tonight.
Here is a picture from Rolf of the end of the day “up close and personal“ stuff:
Update: The Fun Turns to Tragedy link has been modified to be the AAR.
posted on Wednesday, May 04, 2005 8:50 AM
Quote of the day--Thomas Paine
Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice.
Thomas Paine
posted on Wednesday, May 04, 2005 8:08 AM
Another clueless bomb help request
It appears I forgot to post this request for help building a bomb. I BCC'd the Bomb Help Fan Club email alias and intended to post a note here about it too but I forgot.
posted on Tuesday, May 03, 2005 7:28 PM
Boomershoot videoHere are some Boomershoot 2005 videos thanks to Jason Mount. It includes “Entertainingly Close“ Rolf with his .357.
posted on Tuesday, May 03, 2005 6:38 AM
Quote of the day--Lee Ellyn Frailey
We have to get an AR!
Lee Ellyn Frailey
May 1, 2005
While at Boomershoot 2005
She said this shortly after this video was shot. Lee Ellyn is the third person from the left. I apologized to her husband for creating an addict. He said they would borrow one for next year.
posted on Tuesday, May 03, 2005 6:35 AM
Boomershoot 2005 is over
I went to bed at 12:40 this morning. I only lost five pounds this year instead of the usual 10. So you should know from just that data point it was the best event ever. An amazing number of people were there. Spectators drove from Missoula and brought someone from Mississippi. Participants drove from Texas, North Dakota, New Mexico, Michigan, and Arizona. Others came in from New York City, Maryland, Florida, California, and Alaska. The KING 5 crew for Evening Magazine seemed to be good people even if they were a little nervous and perhaps a bit overwhelmed. They both shot explosives from close range with Ry's tricked out Kalashnikov. I'll post when I know the show date and time. Ry will record it and create DVDs for us.
Blogs with pictures so far are here:
FishOrMan
Periodic Journal of my wanderings (See also here, here, and here)
Musings of the Commando Kumquat
The weather was fantastic. Best ever. My son James will have to change his story on the Boomershoot weather predictions now.
The fireball demo worked this time.
The anvil firing and bowling ball launch were big hits.
The worst safety violations I saw or heard about were spectators not using ear protection and a couple participants that forgot to put on safety glasses while shooting.
Ry entertained us by getting his van stuck in the mud--twice. Barb took particular pleasure in the fact it was her Jeep that pulled him out both times.
In all the insanity of the group “clean up” at the tree line we overlooked six 4”, 25 6”, and one 7” target behind the berm. That was 32 targets the participants missed out on. I'm sorry about that. But what struck me the most about that oversight is that in the first Boomershoot in '98 I only had 68 targets total and at this event we overlooked nearly half that many and never missed them.
Thanks to someone's good eyes they noticed a fire up way up on the hill from a tracer round and I was able to put it out before it did any damage.
Gene Econ and assistants put on a great clinic by all accounts.
I didn't see much of the clinic. I and many others were busy making targets. That is a story in itself that would take an hour or more to write up and I don't have the time for right now. The bottom line is that we had a crisis with targets not detonating due to a couple of subtle process variables that changed from our earlier tests. We didn't realize the process had changed but it had. It could have been a disaster. In some ways it was a disaster but rather than put a bullet in my head we figured out a work-around and made it work. The long-range targets were failures but the 375 yard targets worked well and people loved getting up close and blasting away from 25 yards away. Video should be available from Jason Mount and others soon.
I plan to write and post the speech I wanted to give at the Boomershoot dinner soon. The time I had alloted to write it were consumed recovering from the target problems. Lots of things I wanted to say and didn't remember at the time. Lots of things I could have said much better. I really appreciate the tolerance. I figured the targets for the next day were more important than my blathering the night before.
I'm tired, very tired. Time for about 12 hours of sleep.
posted on Monday, May 02, 2005 8:40 PM
Quote of the day--Rolf NelsonMy .357 will set them off but I have to be entertainingly close.
Rolf Nelson
May 1, 2005
While "Boomer Hunting" at Boomershoot 2005
”Entertainingly close” meant within about 20 feet which is well within the “blast zone” of smoke and dust.
Update: Video is here.
posted on Monday, May 02, 2005 6:57 PM
Boomershoot weather forecast at T-1I was up until 01:30 this morning but I got everything done that HAD to be done before I leave. We dropped Kim off at the airport at 06:00 and said hi to Sarah. Kim gets back into town about 18:30. She is due at Boomershoot by 08:30 the next morning.
My stomach is in knots this morning. No appetite. It'll probably remain that way until midday on Sunday--assuming everything goes well I'll get an appetite Sunday night. Lots and lots of things to do today. Almost for certain this will be my last post until at least Sunday, maybe even Monday night.
Remember, spectators are welcome. Bring ear protection, a lawn chair, rain gear, sunscreen, and everything in between. If you forget the ear protection we have some extra. Ask at the RV/check-in table.
The forecast for wind looks a lot better but with chances of showers on Friday and Saturday. It should be okay.
Friday, Apr 29
Times of clouds and sun with a shower possible in the afternoon. Winds from the S at 2 mph. High: 59° F RealFeel: 66° F
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy. Wind information is not available. Low: 39° F RealFeel: 43° F
Saturday, Apr 30
Mostly cloudy with a shower possible. Winds from the NE at 2 mph. High: 65° F RealFeel: 69° F
Saturday Night: Cloudy. Winds from the ESE at 5 mph. Low: 40° F RealFeel: 39° F
Sunday, May 1
Variable cloudiness. Winds from the E at 8 mph. High: 62° F RealFeel: 57° F
Sunday Night: Plenty of clouds. Winds from the SE at 6 mph. Low: 42° F RealFeel: 39° F
posted on Thursday, April 28, 2005 6:49 AM
Quote of the day--George WashingtonThe very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference -- they serve a place of honor with all that is good.
George Washington
posted on Thursday, April 28, 2005 6:38 AM
Busy, busy day and it's not over yetJames called an we talked about the Serenity trailer that is out. The series was so good. We have high hopes for the movie.
Kim's doctor's appointment turned out far better than we feared. The doc said it probably was just cartilage rather than her ACL. She can work just take it easy. Then we went out to lunch.
Xenia thinks the drawing of an explosion I have on the Boomershoot shirts, etc. looks like a vagina and/or uterus and has a poll up asking everyone else what they think. Vagina is winning 3:1 over explosion at this time.
I burned 100 CD's with Boomershoot History Through 2004 on them. All shooters will get one and I'll burn more for anyone that shows up and wants one.
The server for my email and a couple dozen web sites including boomershoot.org, joehuffman.org, etc. lost it's power supply and I had to replace it. Lots of last minute email from boomershoot people. I also received lots of calls about Boomershoot including one from the outdoor writer at the Lewiston Morning Tribune. There should be an article about Boomershoot in the Outdoor section tomorrow.
I printed 900 labels for the reactive targets to be compliant with the ATFE.
I wrote up the worker's task list and emailed that out.
Kim has a second interview with Horizon Air in Seattle tomorrow. They will fly her over and back. She is floating in the clouds. She got the house she and a friend wanted to rent.today too.
I picked up a shooting bench from Tim and Lisa since they can't attend this year.
I picked up Kim mattress than her old roommate let her seven cats piss and crap all over and put it behind our house for later disposal.
I still have 100 badges and CD labels to print out tonight. I hope I don't run out of ink in the ink jet printer
Barb keeps asking if I'm having fun yet...
posted on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 10:30 PM
Boomershoot weather forecast at T-2I had my first Boomershoot “butterflies” on Monday evening. I was watching a movie with Barb in our living room and I suddenly remembered I hadn't found one of our walkie-talkies yet and hadn't purchased a new one either. What else had I forgotten? My stomach was tied up in knots for a while. I've been doing fairly well since then. I wake up far earlier than normal--5:10 this morning after going to bed at 23:07 but I don't wake up during the night. I still have an appetite; which is good. Things are actually going well. The weather still looks good to. We are close enough that they should be close to right on now:
Friday, Apr 29
Clouds limiting sun. Winds from the E at 4 mph. High: 61° F RealFeel: 64° F
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy. Winds from the ESE at 6 mph. Low: 34° F RealFeel: 31° F
Saturday, Apr 30
Cloudy with a shower possible. Winds from the E at 8 mph. High: 61° F RealFeel: 55° F
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy. Winds from the E at 7 mph. Low: 39° F RealFeel: 36° F
Sunday, May 1
Overcast. Winds from the E at 9 mph. High: 65° F RealFeel: 59° F
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy. Winds from the E at 6 mph. Low: 40° F RealFeel: 38° F
posted on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 6:34 AM
I presume they read at least some of the posts visible then at 16:48:20 GMT visited my blog picture gallery. They saw the following thumbnails:
They clicked on the thumbnail of Barb and I together at 16:48:23 GMT (9:48:23 PDT) and saw this:
They were absent until 22:17:30 GMT (15:17:30 PDT) and went straight to my photo gallery again and at 22:18:04 GMT looked at the picture of me sitting in my chair in front of the computer. If you look closely you can see I am wearing a pistol in a holster on my right hip and wearing a Boomershoot T-shirt.
They broke contact for two days after seeing this picture.
Last update: August 03, 2005